National Wildlife Federation Newsroom

Former Virginia Sen. John Warner Named Conservationist of the Year

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Senate Bill Signals New Momentum for Clean Energy in 2009

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Senate Environment & Public Works Committee Chair Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Foreign Relations Committee Chair John Kerry (D-MA) introduced the Senate’s version of comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation today.

Joe Mendelson, global warming policy director of the National Wildlife Federation, said:

“Quite simply, this bill means less pollution and more clean energy. It will move America forward in the new clean energy economy, create new jobs and help ensure our country is a leader in developing and selling clean energy technology around the world."

Click here to continue.

Groups Launch Polluter Fraud Citizen Tip Line

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Today the AAUW, National Wildlife Federation, NAACP, Center for American Progress Action Fund and Sierra Club urged citizens to blow the whistle on deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal tactics being perpetrated by big polluters and their lobbyists to strike down clean energy innovation.

Adam Kolton, senior director, congressional and federal affairs at the National Wildlife Federation, said:

“The hotline we have launched will help people fight back against big polluters and their lobbyists.

“As we know all too well by now, a contractor for the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity sent more than a dozen forged and fraudulent letters to members of Congress in opposition to the American Clean Energy and Security Act. ACCCE and its contractor, Bonner and Associates, are now under investigation by the House Select Committee on Global Warming and Energy Independence."

Connecting the Dots: Midwest Flooding, Global Warming, Floodplain (Mis)Management, & National Legislation

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST

Gear Up For The Great American Backyard Campout

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST

More Americans than ever are staying close to home this summer for economic reasons. Thousands of families and communities around the country have already registered for this summer’s ultimate staycation -- National Wildlife Federation’s fifth annual Great American Backyard Campout on June 27.

An Associated Press-GfK Poll found that 20 percent of respondents planning a trip this summer will stay closer to home. Camping is an accessible and affordable “stay-cation” that brings families together and helps keep them mentally and physically healthy. Participation for National Wildlife Federation’s fifth annual Great American Backyard Campout is expected to be unprecedented, with tens of thousands of campers already registered across the country.

Visit www.backyardcampout.org today!

New Poll: Americans Call for Action on Clean Energy & Climate

Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 EST

Washington, DC – Americans strongly support legislative proposals that invest in clean energy and cap global warming pollution, according to a summary of responses from registered voters in a poll conducted in April for the National Wildlife Federation.

As the House Energy and Commerce Committee prepares to mark up the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the National Wildlife Federation released national survey findings that show two-thirds of registered voters support all elements of a comprehensive climate and energy plan tested including: new standards for energy efficiency, requirements on utilities to generate 25 percent of their electricity from renewable sources, capping carbon pollution and requiring energy companies to reduce carbon pollution by 20 percent over the next decade, and a “smart grid” to transmit renewable energy sources.

Climate Legislation Is Key to Safeguarding America's Wildlife and Natural Resources

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

National Wildlife Federation CEO Larry Schweiger testified today before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Environment on the urgent need for comprehensive climate and energy legislation that includes large-scale dedicated funding to protect and restore wildlife and natural resources threatened by global warming.

“Today’s hearing is essentially about whether Congress will ensure our children and grandchildren are not left with a world fundamentally different than the one we have enjoyed."

“I want to emphasize if we cap carbon pollution, but fail to invest adequately in natural resource protection, we will have accomplished only half the job."

Bush Administration to Launch Sneak Attack on Endangered Species Act

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST

The Bush Administration plans to rollback protections for America’s imperiled wildlife by re-writing the regulations of the Endangered Species Act. According to leaked documents obtained by the National Wildlife Federation, the proposed changes would weaken the safety net of habitat protections that have helped protect and recover endangered fish, wildlife and plants for the past 35 years.

“I have been working on the Endangered Species Act for 15 years and have never seen such a sneaky attack,” said John Kostyack, Executive Director of Wildlife Conservation and Global Warming at the National Wildlife Federation. “To suggest that our nation's most important wildlife law could be gutted after a mere 30 day written comment period is the height of arrogance and disrespect for wildlife science. Elected officials have been saying no to proposals like this for 15 years.

Judge halts widespread haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program lands

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

A U.S. District judge has issued a permanent injunction against the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) program allowing widespread haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program lands.

“USDA tried to turn one of America’s most important conservation programs into a farm subsidy program, putting wildlife at risk throughout the country,” said Tom France, Regional Executive Director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Northern Rockies Natural Resource Center and lead counsel on the case. “The court's ruling sends a clear message to USDA that it must follow the law in reviewing potential harmful impacts to wildlife and habitat before it makes sweeping decisions.”

New Report Aims To Save America's Kids From An 'Indoor Summer'

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

On a walk through a typical American neighborhood this summer, one might be hard pressed to find a bare-foot kid chasing down a toad, or building a tree fort in the woods, or flying a kite in the park. Organized play at the soccerplex has replaced unstructured play down at the creek.

As American childhood has moved indoors, research shows that many of today’s children are actually gaining weight during the summer break. And as electronic entertainment replaces both structured and unstructured outdoor experiences, many children are being raised so cut off from their natural world that they are not developing a connection with nature.

Army Corps Liable For Katrina Flooding

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Statement by Larry Schweiger
President & CEO, National Wildlife Federation

On Federal District Court Ruling Army Corps of Engineers
Liable for Damages Caused in Katrina Flooding

“We are just beginning to witness the fallout in New Orleans where a Federal District Judge ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is not immune when its negligence results in a major flood disaster.

“The Court decision is yet another wake-up call for the Administration and Congress to make changes to federal water policies to better protect people, communities, and the environment as well as ensure that taxpayer dollars are wisely spent.

“The Court decision confirms what’s been known for some time: that an ill-conceived and poorly maintained navigation channel acted as a hurricane funnel – unleashing a storm surge that flooded the Lower 9th Ward and others parts of New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish. Congress and the Administration...

Generation E: Students Leading for a Sustainable, Clean Energy Future

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

RESTON, Va. (November 18)—National Wildlife Federation today released its new study of Generation E: Students Leading for a Sustainable, Clean Energy Future, which highlights the unique and critical role college students are playing in reforming sustainability programs that lower their campus’ carbon footprint.

“We scouted projects at more than 160 colleges and universities all across the country. In more than 20 years of supporting student environmental leaders, we've never seen this extraordinary degree of student engagement and creativity around sustainability at every level,” said Julian Keniry, Senior Director of Campus and Community Leadership, for National Wildlife Federation. “Our findings demolish the myth that students are apathetic or sitting on the sidelines. Their voices are rising up in ways we haven’t heard since the civil rights or the peace movements of the ‘60s and ‘70s, but the irony is, we are finding that most campus educato...

House Natural Resources Committee Approves Ocean, Coastal, and Watershed Education Act

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

The U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources today approved legislation expanding key watershed and environmental education programs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-23) introduced the bipartisan legislation in September to improve ocean, coastal, and watershed education and literacy. H.R. 3644, the Ocean, Coastal, and Watershed Education Act, would authorize a national Environmental Literacy Grant program as well as a regional Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program focused on local watershed education.

Kevin Coyle, NWF’s Vice President for Education and Training, said today:
“This legislation will provide opportunities for young people to ‘Be Out There’ experiencing the...

Former Virginia Sen. John Warner Honored For Conservation Leadership

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

America’s largest conservation organization dedicated to protecting wildlife has honored former Sen. John Warner of Virginia with its National Conservation Achievement Award for his extraordinary environmental leadership in the political and nonprofit sectors. Former Sen. Warner's award as “Conservationist of the Year” from National Wildlife Federation was announced at the organization’s annual awards banquet in Washington, D.C. last night.

A leader and fighter for the public interest for the better part of a half century of his public and professional life, Warner continues as a vocal champion of global climate action and a trailblazer for new initiatives to increase America’s energy independence. Since leaving the Senate early this year, Warner has worked with the Pew Environment Group to bring together state and municipal governments, the Administration, and military, security and climate experts to explore new strategies to address global climate change, strengthen our...

National Wildlife Federation Honors Ella Baker Center For Community and Climate Leadership

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

America’s conservation organization dedicated to protecting wildlife has honored Oakland’s Ella Baker Center for Human Rights with its Conservation Achievement Award for an organization. The National Wildlife Federation presented the Ella Baker Center with this prestigious honor tonight during its annual awards banquet in Washington, DC.

The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights is a non-profit strategy and action center committed to providing alternatives to poverty and violence through investing in the community. The center’s recent Green-Collar Jobs Campaign works to create clean energy opportunities for low-income communities and communities of color, serving the good of the earth while providing disadvantaged people with the means to lift themselves out of poverty.

“The hard work of shaping America’s clean energy economy and making it equitable for all communities falls on organizations like the Ella Baker Center,” said National Wildlife Federation Preside...

National Wildlife Federation Honors James L. Elder For Environmental Leadership

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

The nation’s leading conservation education and advocacy group has honored James L. Elder, of Manchester, MA, with its Conservation Achievement Award for Education. The National Wildlife Federation presented Dr. Elder with this prestigious honor last night during its annual awards banquet in Washington, DC.

Dr. Elder is a leading expert on environmental and sustainability education policy and Founder and Director of the Campaign for Environmental Literacy (CEL), the emerging environmental and sustainability education advocacy movement’s key network of stakeholder organizations working to secure federal support. Over the past four years, CEL has led efforts to restore more than $70 million in federal government education funding cuts and increase total funding by an additional $35 million. CEL also led the successful campaign to include a $50 million sustainability education grant program in the Higher Education Act. Elder has been instrumental in the introduction of a new $200 million bil...

Keith Campbell and the Keith Campbell Foundation Honored for Conservation Leadership

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

The nation’s leading conservation education and advocacy group has honored Keith Campbell and the Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment in Annapolis, MD, for exemplary leadership. The foundation’s award from National Wildlife Federation in the philanthropy category was announced at the organization’s annual awards banquet in Washington, DC last night.

The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment, which was founded in 1998 with the mission of improving the conditions of the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bay waterways, promotes policy, advocacy and enforcement to improve water quality, restore ecological balance and foster an engaged citizenry In 2004, the Foundation expanded its reach to include Northern California under the leadership of Keith’s daughter and the Foundation’s President, Samantha Campbell.

“Keith Campbell was a great success as an investment advisor, and he has parlayed his financial know-how into a vital role as a champion of...

National Wildlife Federation Honors U-A Fairbanks’ Dr. Katey Walter Anthony for Climate Leadership

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

America’s conservation organization dedicated to protecting wildlife has honored the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Dr. Katey Walter Anthony with its Conservation Achievement Award for Science. The National Wildlife Federation presented Dr. Walter Anthony with this prestigious honor last night during its annual awards banquet in Washington, DC.

Dr. Walter Anthony, whose thesis work won her the nation’s top honor in doctoral dissertations from the U.S. Council of Graduate Schools, has devoted years to the study of methane emissions in the Arctic, especially in areas where warming conditions have led to the recession of permafrost. Her work highlights troubling and oft-overlooked changes in the planet’s fundamental balance and their impact on global warming trends.

“Whether in the wilderness or the laboratory, Dr. Walter Anthony has distinguished herself as a young scientist worth watching,” said National Wildlife Federation President and CEO Larry Schweiger....

Cartoonist Tom Toles Honored for Conservation Leadership

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

The nation’s leading conservation education and advocacy group has honored editorial cartoonist Tom Toles with its National Conservation Achievement Award for exemplary leadership. Toles’ award from National Wildlife Federation in the communications category was announced at the organization’s annual awards banquet in Washington, DC last night.

A Pulitzer Prize winner and longtime Washington Post editorial cartoonist, Toles has become one of mass media’s most visible and vibrant voices on global warming and environmental issues. Since he first broached the subject of global warming in his cartoons in the 1980s, Toles has made it among his most frequently referenced topics and elevated it to a vital spot on some 200 opinion pages across the country.

“In a very tight field, Tom Toles manages to stand tall and speak out on the issues most vital to our lives and the lives of our children and grandchildren” said National Wildlife Federation President and CEO La...

National Wildlife Federation Honors Kettle Foods for Conservation Leadership

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

America’s conservation organization dedicated to protecting wildlife honored Oregon’s Kettle Foods with its Conservation Achievement Award for Corporate Achievement. The National Wildlife Federation presented Kettle Foods with this prestigious honor last night during its annual awards banquet in Washington, DC.

Kettle Foods, creator of award-winning Kettle Brand Potato Chips, has blazed a path in the natural foods industry and set a shining example for environmentally-conscious corporations. Among Kettle’s sustainability leaps: recycling waste cooking oil as biofuel, generating energy with rooftop solar panels and wind turbines, offsetting other electrical usage with wind energy credits, restoring wetlands, and reducing 450,000 pounds of packaging material each year.

“Kettle Foods proves that a company can be both successful and conscientious, and they don’t need to sacrifice on either end,” said National Wildlife Federation President and CEO Larry Schweiger...

President Bush's Wetlands Pledge

Thu, 12 Aug 2004 00:00:00 EST

This spring, President Bush made a pledge that all sportsmen should welcome. The president not only reaffirmed a no net loss of wetlands policy, but also committed his administration to the goal of annual net gains in wetlands habitat.

This is an ambitious endeavor. Hunters and anglers have an important role to play in letting the administration know they support this goal and holding the administration accountable for delivering on it.

While several steps are needed, the administration should take aim at two prime targets to put the president’s words into action. The first is simply to withdraw its own Clean Water Act wetlands guidelines that the administration itself has conceded threaten to end protections for up to 20 million wetland acres. A net gain policy cannot pass the laugh test until these guidelines are replaced with a commitment to fully enforce the Clean Water Act’s wetlands protections.

The next target is one few presidents have been willin...

America’s Sportsmen Fight For Mercury-Free Fish

Wed, 23 Jun 2004 00:00:00 EST

More than 400 sportsmen groups representing more than 1.1 million hunters, anglers and outfitters nationwide have spoken, and what they’ve said is they want their fisheries clean and their fish free of mercury contamination. These sportsmen made their voices heard by signing on to a letter circulated by the National Wildlife Federation to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Leavitt, urging him to effectively address mercury pollution.

“It’s important to anglers that the fish we catch and take home are safe to eat. Mercury contamination is a real concern to anglers,” said Doug Inkley, senior science advisor to the National Wildlife Federation and an avid sportsman.

The current EPA proposal to reduce mercury emissions from power plants falls far short of what the Clean Air Act requires. The proposal would actually result in more mercury entering waterways over the next decade than if the agency simply followed the strict reduction requi...

Poorly-Hatched Policy an Assault on Future of Angling in America

Thu, 06 May 2004 00:00:00 EST

The latest assault by the Bush administration to outdoor interests is a proposal to eliminate the distinction between wild, self-sustaining salmon and those raised in concrete pools. By deliberately blurring the important distinctions between wild and hatchery-raised salmon, the administration is trying to loosen safeguards designed to protect salmon habitat and clean water in the Northwest, setting a dangerous precedent in the process that could eventually be bad news for all America’s fish and the anglers who depend on them.

Fishing business groups and scientists, as well as conservationists such as the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and Trout Unlimited are condemning this new and yet-unreleased policy that would remove federal protections for many, if not most of the 27 salmon and steelhead stocks from the northwest tip of Washington down to southern California and central Idaho.

“Wild salmon and steelhead are at risk of extinction throughout the Northwest,...

Midwest Anglers Speak Out in Opposition to Proposed EPA Mercury Rule

Tue, 30 Mar 2004 00:00:00 EST

Alarm over the effect unregulated mercury pollution from Midwest power plants is having on the future of fishing in the area has prompted sporting enthusiasts to send a letter to Midwest congressional senators and representatives and governors, voicing their concerns.

“Mercury has a grave impact on the health of our rivers and streams,” said Jean Flemma, Director of the Prairie Rivers Network. “Mercury contamination in Illinois is so widespread that we now have a statewide fish advisory warning people to limit their consumption of certain kinds of fish caught in every one of Illinois’ inland lakes, reservoirs and impoundments.”

This concern Midwest anglers have centers on a proposed EPA mercury rule that, in the words of the sports enthusiasts who signed the letter, “falls far short of what is realistically needed to address this threat.”

George Meyer, president of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation and a former secretary of th...

Corps of Engineers’ Delaware River Deepening a Threat to Anglers

Wed, 24 Mar 2004 00:00:00 EST

Like many Corps of Engineers projects across the nation, the Delaware River Deepening is taking a serious toll on wildlife species prized by the region’s anglers.

In the case of the Delaware River Deepening, blue crabs, horseshoe crabs and recovering oyster populations are paying the price for the Corps’ expensive and environmentally destructive water projects.

Throughout its history, the Corps has channeled, diked and dammed this country’s rivers, lakes and streams. Too often, the agency works against natural systems, rather than with them, and damages wetlands, rivers and estuaries that are havens for wildlife as a result.

The Delaware River Deepening is no exception. It has just ranked sixth among the nation’s most threatening and wasteful Corps projects in an investigation by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS).

“One of the greatest threats to the great outdoors used by hunters and...

Corps of Engineers’ Big Sunflower River Dredging and Yazoo Backwater Pump Projects a Threat to Waterfowl Hunters and Anglers

Wed, 24 Mar 2004 00:00:00 EST

Like many Corps of Engineers projects across the nation, the Big Sunflower River Dredging and Yazoo Backwater Pump projects are taking a serious toll on thousands of acres of some of the nation’s richest wildlife habitat prized by waterfowl hunters.

In the case of the Big Sunflower River Dredging and Yazoo Backwater Pump projects, the Corps is severely impacting hundreds of thousands of acres of wetlands upon which many of the nation’s migratory waterfowl, including over-wintering mallards depend, as well as 43 percent of the river’s rich mussel beds.

The Big Sunflower River Dredging and Yazoo Backwater Pump Projects are no exception. They have just ranked second among the natio...

Corps of Engineers’ Upper Mississippi River Navigation Expansion a Threat to Migratory Waterfowl Hunters

Wed, 24 Mar 2004 00:00:00 EST

Like many Corps of Engineers projects across the nation, the Upper Mississippi River Navigation Expansion is taking a serious toll on one of the nation’s most important migratory wildlife routes.

In the case of the Upper Mississippi River Navigation Expansion, the Corps is compromising the backbone of the Mississippi Flyway, which supports more than 40 percent of North America’s migratory birds, including mallard, scaup and pintail.

The Upper Mississippi River is no exception. It has just ranked fourth among the nation’s most threatening and wasteful Corps projects in an investigation by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS).

...

Corps of Engineers’ Apalachicola River Dredging Project a Threat to Anglers

Wed, 24 Mar 2004 00:00:00 EST

Like many Corps of Engineers projects across the nation, the Apalachicola River Dredging project is taking a serious toll on fish species prized by the region’s anglers.

In the case of the Apalachicola River Dredging project, shoal bass and some of the best fishing areas in the southeast are paying the price for the Corps’ expensive and environmentally destructive water projects.

The Apalachicola River is no exception. It has just ranked among the nation’s most threatening and wasteful Corps projects in an investigation by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS).

“One of the greatest threats to the great outdoors used by...

Hunters & Anglers Win Major Clean Water Victory But Threat to Nation's Wetlands Continues

Wed, 21 Jan 2004 00:00:00 EST

In an incredible show of clout, America’s outdoor enthusiasts have convinced the White House to reverse itself and abandon plans to rewrite the Clean Water Act (CWA) rules. Hunters and anglers across the nation were mobilized to make their voices heard by numerous groups including the National Wildlife Federation and its state affiliates, Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, the Izaak Walton League and Delta Waterfowl.

Last month, in direct response to hunter and angler demands, the Bush administration called a halt to the rewriting plans that could have eliminated Clean Water Act protections for up to 60 percent of the nation’s waters.

You kept your readers and listeners informed about what the proposed Clean Water Act rulemaking would mean for America’s fish and game. As a result, hunters and anglers came to realize their critical role in protecting the nation’s waters. Moreover, NWF, DU and TU held hunter and angler summits in Chicago and Atlanta. At these su...

Mercury: Decisions Loom on Threat to Angling

Sat, 01 Nov 2003 00:00:00 EST

You've read the headlines and heard the warnings. Who hasn't? Many popular fish species (including swordfish, trout, bass and walleye) are so contaminated with mercury that health officials recommend people drastically cut back or eliminate these fish from their diets. Forty-three states currently have fish consumption advisories due to mercury.

You've heard about the health consequences. You know the devastating effects mercury can have on your growing children or a developing fetus. You know the toll mercury can take on your own health.

Coal-fired power plants are the largest unregulated source of mercury emissions into the atmosphere, which as it falls can be deposited into lakes, streams and estuaries where it accumulates in fish and other aquatic organisms. If that's not bad enough, concentrations of the toxic chemical increase as you move up the food chain. In other words: that 15 pound walleye you caught last weekend? Eat it sparingly.

And here's where politics in the nation's c...